Mission: Japan
by TinkerLJ
Summary: REWRITE COMPLETE! I have just gone back and rewritten this entire story (7/8/17) This was my first attempt at fan fiction. Looking it over, I blushed with embarrassment multiple times. (Wow! Did I really write that?) So, I went back. Summary: F/LJ are sent to Japan...their first Covert mission together as a new couple...what will happen? Other Joes feature. Please R and R.
1. Chapter 1

_(6/30/17) I am hitting a proverbial wall with ideas for new stories after Musings so thought I'd revisit my old ones...and this was my first. Was I ever shocked. Thank you so much for the reviews my first go around from Yellow Angela, Guest, bugsymutt, Allie,_ _roguedoll, and lucianaevangelista. Wow! You all encouraged me to continue...not that it was even that well written. Thanks so much! As always..I appreciate!_

 _So, I am going back and rewriting this. Should be fun. Follow along if you wish...reviews happily accepted._

 _BTW, still writing only what I would let my kids read...! haha..._

* * *

It was just after 1300 when Flint entered the mess and grabbed a tray. Already far beyond hungry, he was thankful he didn't have to stand line for the usual lunch rush madness. He must have looked it, too, because the Green Shirt server grinned and instantly handed him an extra large bowl of chili and two thick slices of cornbread.

"Thanks," Flint said appreciatively inhaling the sweet and spicy aromas. His stomach rumbled in anticipation.

"Not a problem."

Picking up his laden tray carefully, Flint looked around the room, noticing the various groups of Joes scattered among the tables. Glancing quickly over them, he searched for one brown head among the many. His breath caught and he broke into a grin as he spotted her.

Lady Jaye was sitting at a table to the left. Ace was beside her. Shipwreck and Alpine were on the other side of the table. She was laughing at something they had said, holding her side. She glanced up and flashed Flint a bright smile as he came up alongside.

"Hi," she gasped, trying to catch her breath, "Sorry, I didn't see you come in."

He flashed her a lopsided grin and sat down next to her as she quickly scooted over to make room. Looking down at his tray, he sighed, "Man, am I starved."

"I'd watch out for that chili if I were you," Alpine warned, wagging a finger, "Gung Ho's been making suggestions to the kitchen staff again. It's a bit on the spicy side."

"It's not that bad, Goat Boy," Shipwreck laughed, "You just can't handle anything hot…unlike my man, Flint, here," He slapped Flint on the back as he flashed a grin at Lady Jaye.

Lady Jaye and Flint both flushed pink as Ace and Alpine laughed good naturedly. Despite their efforts to be discrete, it was common knowledge among the Joes that Jaye and Flint were…ahem…an item.

"Just as long as it's not his Cajun gumbo, I'll eat anything." Flint noticed the barely touched bowl still on Alpine's tray and gave him a condescending glance. "The General had Duke and I in a meeting all morning going over the latest reports from Washington…," Flint continued in an attempt to change the subject.

"Oh?," Jaye turned to him suddenly and frowned. It was she who had been working closely with Hawk gathering the intel. She was wondering why she had not been made privy to this latest information.

Flint knew what she was thinking and gave her an apologetic smile. "Later," he mouthed silently.

She nodded, understanding that it was not a conversation they could have in front of others.

Flint spooned his chili and took a cautious bite. He sat silently for a minute while everyone watched him.

"Mmm, not bad…spicy," he said chewing thoughtfully. He turned to Lady Jaye, his eyes twinkling, and winked, "I guess Shipwreck was right. I do know how to handle hot."

"Flint!," she smacked him on the back of the head, flushing red to his delight once again.

Shipwreck's eyes widened and he let out a loud guffaw, nearly spitting out his water. Beside him, Ace and Alpine laughed heartily at Jaye's expense.

The angry glare she shot them lost some of it's affect against her brilliantly heated cheeks. Nevertheless, they glanced hastily from one to the other and mouthed one word, "retreat." Scraping chair legs, they all pushed away from the table simultaneously.

"Gotta go," Ace flashed a nervous grin and headed for the exit.

"Yeah, see ya," Shipwreck echoed.

"Ummm….later," Alpine hurried after them.

Flint continued to shovel the chili into his mouth, a slight smirk on his lips. An angry Jaye was a sight to behold, and oh, how he did love to rile her. Not that he would ever admit that to her, of course, not, at least, if he valued his life.

* * *

"I have called you here because CIA intelligence has confirmed increased Cobra activity in the Japan sea."

"Recently, Cobra has been quiet, too quiet." Hawk pointed his laser pointer toward the map of Japan on the power point screen.

"Here", he pointed to the coast of North Korea, "and here", he pointed to Hokkaido, the northern most island of Japan. Hawk flashed more pictures of a large, imposing building. "This is Heidaina Corporation." He paused but since no one spoke up he spoke slowly and clearly. 'Heidaina' means "extensive" in Japanese."

"Extensive?" the Joes murmured looking at one another in surprise.

"Do you mean extensive as in Extensive Enterprises?" asked Scarlett.

"That's what it looks like," he replied stonily. He flashed another picture.

"It's one of those blasted twins," exclaimed Duke, leaning forward and slamming a fist on the table.

"Tomax." All the Joes looked toward Lady Jaye.

"How do YOU know?" Flint asked, his voice slightly on edge. Why was it the twins always got him upset?

"Xamot has the scar," she said matter of factly.

"Hmf…," he grumbled.

Hawk rose to hand out files. His imposing presence commanded the attention of everyone in the room.

Lady Jaye cast a confused glance at Flint. His jaws were clenched as he reigned himself in, still grumbling under his breath. She shrugged slightly; she had no clue why he was so upset.

They all flipped their files open. Hawk waited silently as they quickly read though the information.

"This is it?" Lady Jaye looked up in surprise. "Two pages?" She had been the one following the paper trail for Hawk. There was a lot of information she had been privy to that had not appeared in the report.

"That's it." Hawk spoke in disgust. He gave her a meaningful glance and she held back the next question. "We know Cobra is in the area. We know the twins are involved, financially, at least. We know they have set up a base in Kanagawa. Sources tell us there is significant money flowing in and out. We don't know who else is there, what their plans are, or why the twins are financially invested. We don't even know if or how Heidaina Corporation is connected to the Cobra increase in North Korea and Hokkaido. I'm going to put all the Joes on high alert. I have a feeling this is not all it seems to be."

He caught Lady Jaye's eye. She was shaking her head in disbelief. _And now for the next test_ , he thought.

"Flint and Lady Jaye, you two have already proven how well you work together in the field. I want to see how you do as a covert team. With that in mind, I am assigning the two of you for this mission. Reconnaissance only. No engagement unless necessary. Understand?" his sharp gaze rested on Flint.

"Yes sir," Lady Jaye and Flint glanced at one another, their faces questioning. This was certainly a first.

"Good." Hawk smiled brightly. "Here are your orders." He handed them a large manilla envelope. "Get your gear packed. Freshen up on some Japanese. You will be leaving the day after tomorrow. Your flight tickets are there also."

"We're flying commercial?" Find asked, surprised.

"Yes," Hawk smiled wryly, "I know Covert is not your speciality, but please follow Lady Jaye's lead. I think it's best we didn't advertise that we're military on this one."

Lady Jaye gave Flint a smug grin.

"Uh, yeah, right…" Flint turned back to Hawk, slightly embarassed.

"Duke, I want you and Scarlett to prepare a secondary team. We don't know what Flint and Lady Jaye will find there. I want you to be ready to move in a moments notice, should they need back up or in worst case, an emergency extraction." Duke and Scarlett started in surprise. "This is off the record, but I don't feel good about this one. I would have pulled out but I have too many higher ups pulling the strings."

"Yes sir," they said together.

Lady Jaye and Flint glanced at one another, their silence speaking volumes. Then they sat down to look over the mission specifics.

"Let me know who you have decided on as your team," Hawk continued with Duke.

"Yes sir," Scarlett and Duke left the room already discussing who to put on their team.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Lady Jaye?" Hawk answered. She cocked an eyebrow, glancing at Flint, "Permission to speak freely?"

"Yes," he sighed.

"There was more information, sir." She pretended not to notice Flint who who looked at her in surprise. "Why wasn't it put in the final report?"

"I wasn't given authorization to share that information. I guess it was a good thing you were doing the intel, since I "technically" cannot tell you about it," he smiled wryly. "And I guess "technically," I can't tell you to act on that information. But I trust you will know what to do."

"Right…," Lady Jaye frowned.

"Oh, and one more thing..."

Lady Jaye and Flint suddenly felt cold.

"Lifeline asked me to give this to you...just in case."

Flint reached for the small bottle hesitantly, "Uh, thanks."


	2. Chapter 2

Lady Jaye bit her lip as she stared at half packed bags and piles of clothes strewn about her quarters.

"What should I pack for Japan?," she wondered. It would be an information gathering job, she knew. She and Flint would both be working at Heidaina Corporation in Kanagawa. She sat on the bed, combed her hand through her short, brown hair, and sighed deeply.

Japan. She had not been to Japan since the Joes were on that mission a couple years ago. Cobra had planted strategical placed bombs hoping to set off a massive earthquake that would destroy Tokyo and subsequently unleash a huge tsunami that would cross the Pacific. Fortunately, the Joes found all four bombs, and thanks to Bazooka, managed to defuse them just in time. They had celebrated over a lavish Japanese dinner…She smiled softly, remembering it well as Flint turned green as octopus was served. She had teased Flint that he should be adventurous and at least try the food so as not to offend their host. But, he was so far out of his element, a real meat and potatoes kind of guy, that he only managed to pick at his food. After the meal, he had steered her into the nearest McDonalds, to her embarrassment. And yes, they really are everywhere.

She sighed. It's not like she didn't enjoy her time there it was just…Japan. She hated to admit that Japanese was not one of her sharpest languages. And Flint as her partner? She sighed again.

And then there was the bureaucracy that had Hawk's hands tied. The additional "unauthorized" information she had only made the situation more difficult, more dangerous. When she had shared it with Flint, he was not pleased to say the least.

Cobra was slowly and discretely collecting various brain altering chemicals and rumors were being passed around that these chemicals were already being tested on Cobra subjects. It was feared they were trying to develop some kind of mind controlling weapon.

Lady Jaye shuddered. You couldn't put anything past Cobra. Unfortunately with them, it seemed the crazier the scheme, the more likely they would try it.

She picked up the Visiting Japan: Culture and Basic Phrases she had flung to the side earlier. She opened it and sighed again as she read, "When meeting someone for the first time bow and say, " _hajimemashite doozoyoroshiku_ " she read slowly, feeling out the words in her mouth.

There were three written forms of Japanese, she knew. She had learned the 48 Hiragana characters the night before. It was a simple phonetic reading. But the Kanji's, those troublesome Chinese picture characters, proved much more of a challenge. There were thousands of them.

Luckily, both Lady Jaye's and Flint's jobs at Heidaina didn't require much Japanese. Flint would be going in as a janitor. Lady Jaye would be working in the English side of the company as a personal receptionist for one of their business representatives.

Lady Jaye glanced down at the book again. "Remove your shoes before entering a home."

Well, duh, at least that one she knew already.

It certainly didn't help that her partner was even more ignorant of Japanese than she. Flint…, who couldn't even eat sushi for goodness sake! What would he do in Japan? She frowned. At least he could pass as a janitor. Maintenance and cleaning didn't require much conversation with anyone.

She shoved these thoughts aside as she glanced toward her half packed bags. Well, at least I can pack easy to put on and remove shoes…not to mention comfortable to walk in, she mumbled under her breath. Though there were cars in Japan, she and Flint would not have one. Most people got around by taking trains anyway - trains, or bikes, or simply walking. She and Flint would be doing a lot of walking. Yes, definitely comfortable shoes and comfortable clothes she decided, nodding to herself, packing light skirts and blouses as well as light weight slacks. Classy enough for business but comfortable and movable.

Her thoughts drifted back to what else she knew about Japan. It was July, which meant summertime in Japan. Hmmm… _mushi atsui._ She smiled as she easily recalled some of the Japanese vocabulary she had been studying. It pleased her that it was beginning to stick. Unfortunately though, "hot and humid" also meant mosquitos. A frown quickly replaced her triumphant smile. She threw in a bottle of her favorite bug spray just in case. Glancing down, her bags were nearly full. Just as Lady Jaye placed the last personal items in her bags, she was distracted by a hesitant knock on her door followed by the voice she knew so well.

"Jaye, are you in there?"

"Yes Flint, come on in."

He entered, taking in the disheveled appearance of Lady Jaye, the mounds of clothes, the very full appearance of her two travel bags.

"Are you finished packing?," he asked hopefully.

"Yes," she said flopping on the bed with a weary smile, "just."

He let out a sigh in relief. "I know you are tired but would you mind helping me with mine? I have no idea what to pack for Japan….please…", he flashed his lopsided grin.

"Yes, of course," she laughed. She could never say no to him. "The most important thing for you to remember is shoes…Comfortable, easy to slip on and off, shoes."

"Shoes?"

"Yes," she tried to get up and fell back heavily, giving a mock pout.

He smiled obligingly and pulled her to her feet. Drawing her close, he bent down and pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss. Then he whispered into her ear, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said with a chuckle, pulling out of his arms, "Come on, let's go. Just remember you owe me one."

"Sure thing. Anything in mind?," he teased.

She just raised an eyebrow mischievously and grinned. He mirrored her grin as he followed her out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Late that evening, Lady Jaye returned to her quarters. As she swiped her key card and opened the door, she heard the shower running.

"Scarlett must be in," she smiled to herself.

Looking at them now, no one would believe that Lady Jaye and Scarlett had shared a very rocky start. Scarlett had been the only woman on the Joe team for almost a year until Cover Girl came along. Being in very different roles, they had easily accepted one another. But, when Lady Jaye joined the team about a year after that, Scarlett had had a much harder time accepting her. Not only was Lady Jaye Intel like herself, but both were strong, independent women with fiery tempers and to make matters worse, they had immediately taken a dislike to one another. It didn't take much for sparks to fly and their verbal arguments from this time became the stuff of Joe legend.

Cover Girl was wise enough to stay of it, knowing they'd either learn to get along or end up killing each other. Either way, peace would eventually be restored. She happily escaped to the Motor Pool each day, leaving Scarlett and Jaye to work things out for themselves.

Then one day, still early on in their relationship, they were paired up against each other in hand to hand. Neither holding back on their pent up anger and frustration, they attacked one another furiously. The other Joes gathered around the mat, spurring them on with their shouts and cheers that would erupt whenever one of the women made contact with the other. Both giving and taking hits equally, Scarlett the stronger and better skilled while Jaye the faster and more determined, they kept it up until they were both tiring. Little by little, the intensity and furiousness of the fight slowed until they dropped their hands and eyed one another thoughtfully. Both bruised and dripping with sweat, they had had to call it a draw. In that moment, they gained a mutual respect, if not budding friendship, toward one another.

As Scarlett had entered their shared living space later that day, she halted suddenly, spotting Lady Jaye on the couch holding an ice pack to her eye.

Dropping the ice, Lady Jaye stood up and held out her hand toward Scarlett, "Alison," she said with a warm smile.

"Shana," Scarlett had responded immediately. Lowering the ice pack on her own chin she grinned and shook Lady Jaye's hand.

Later, as they sat on the couch together, holding their their ice packs and chatting, they realised it made much better sense to be friends than enemies.

Shifting gingerly and wincing for her trouble, Jaye decided it would certainly be less painful.

Listening to the running shower, Lady Jaye grabbed a cola from the refrigerator and sat down on the couch with a yawn. Helping Flint pack for the upcoming mission to Japan had been more challenging than she thought. Going over the mission again had been even more exhausting. She was now so tired she wanted nothing more than to take a shower and go to bed. She heard the water shut off and moments later, watched as Scarlett emerged from the bathroom. She had a fluffy towel wrapped tightly around her body. Another one was wrapped around her striking red hair.

"Jaye, you're back," she said cheerfully, "All set for tomorrow?"

"I think so. Any hot water left, or did you use it all?"

"No, there's still plenty. I took a quick one. Look…," Scarlett said shivering slightly. "I'm gonna get dressed. Why don't you go ahead and jump in? We can talk after."

Lady Jaye smiled. Scarlett always got cold easily. "Thanks, I think I will." She rose from the couch as Scarlett entered her room and shut the door.

The hot steamy shower refreshed her. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift. She was ready. Exhausted, but ready. She and Flint had decided to call it a day when they had finished his packing and gone over the mission once more, detail by minute detail. Then, they had grabbed a quick meal from the mess and after, he had walked her back to her quarters. At the door, he said goodnight, intending to leave immediately to try to catch up on some of his own much needed sleep, but had found himself lingering. She wasn't sure how long they had been standing in front of her door when Shipwreck rounded the corner and gave a catcall and they had both jumped apart.

Her lips curved into a small smile as she leaned back and let the water run over her face.

"Hey Jaye, are you alright? Did you fall asleep in there?" Scarlett was yelling through the bathroom door.

"No, just getting out," she yelled back, reluctantly turning the faucet handle and shutting off the water.

Lady Jaye stepped out of the shower, towel dried and slipped into her robe. When she opened the door, she smiled at Scarlett curled up on the couch in mismatched gray and navy sweats and went to her room to get dressed. She came out a few minutes later wearing a pair of loose shorts, a tight white t shirt and an unzipped gray hooded sweatshirt.

"Feeling better?" Scarlett asked.

"Much better," Lady Jaye smiled. She took a seat on the couch next to Scarlett and folded her legs up under her.

"So, what time are you leaving?"

"We have to be at the airport by 0400. I'll try not to wake you," she said teasingly.

"Gee, thanks a bunch," she said sarcastically and then her eyes softened. "Take care out there, okay?" Scarlett leaned over and wrapped her arms around her best friend in a hug.

"You bet," Lady Jaye said softly, pulling away. "And now I really do need to get some beauty sleep," she stifled a yawn. "Good night, Scarlett." She rose and headed to her room.

"Night, Jaye," Scarlett's eyes followed her worriedly.

* * *

"Flint, do you want the aisle seat or the middle seat", Lady Jaye motioned as she handed her carry on bag to Flint to place in the overhead bin next to his own bag.

"Aisle. There's never enough leg room on these flights."

She looked at him, nodding her head in sympathy. Folding his large frame into economy class seats was always uncomfortable.

"Well, I hope you can get comfortable enough to sleep a bit," she said, sliding into the middle seat. "Our flight is 10 hours."

"If I can't, at least I can walk the aisles," he said sitting down next to her and taking a glance around. "We are in a good location. Close enough to get to the bathroom easily but far enough away not to have to smell them," he wrinkled his nose. "Speaking of bathrooms," he glanced at her with a sly grin, "Don't get yourself locked in there again."

"Flint!" she cried, punching him on the arm, "That's NOT funny!," she said in exasperation. Her eyes flashed, the soft brown deepening to almost black as bright color spread rapidly over her face. She hated being reminded of the time she got locked in a plane's bathroom when the two of them were on a mission together. She'd had to stay in there until the plane landed and the airline company could send a locksmith to pick the lock to release her. It had been extremely embarrassing.

Flint chuckled softly, settling back into his chair and looking straight ahead. Safe on the opposite side of the door, he had thought the whole thing very funny.

Fuming, Lady Jaye dropped into her seat and pulled the belt tight over her lap for take off, not before shifting as far away from Flint as possible in her narrow plane seat, which unfortunately wasn't far enough in Jaye's mind.

Flint watched her appreciatively from the corner of his eye. As usual, an angry Jaye was a sight to behold.

Her cold silence went from amusing to uncomfortable to exasperating. Finally, after a torturous hour, Flint reached over and took her hand. At first she tried to pull away, but he held on to her tightly. Tilting his head, he whispered into her ear, "I'm sorry," as his thumb began rubbing circles on her captured hand.

Her shoulders slowly relaxed. Finally, without looking at him, she whispered so that softly that was barely audible, "Fine. You're forgiven."

Still holding her hand, Flint leaned back and smiled. She wound her fingers through his and leaned back, too. Time was too short to stay angry at each other.

The rest of the flight was uneventful and nine hours later the plane landed in Narita. Lady Jaye and Flint retrieved their carry on bags and exited the plane, heading for customs. Soon, they were taking their place in the long line of travellers.

Noticing a poster advertising a sushi restaurant located in the airport terminal, Jaye slanted her eyes and smiled, "Welcome back to Japan, Flint."

"I wonder if there's a McDonald's around," he muttered, turning slightly green as he eyed the display of colourful sushi on the poster.

"Oh, come on, Flint. It's not that bad," she rolled her eyes, "Be adventurous for once."


	4. Chapter 4

It was early the next day; the sun had not quite risen. Shaking off jet lag, Lady Jaye selected a simple silk blouse and skirt from her closet and dressed carefully. Then, seated before the mirror, she meticulously applied her make up. She was going for professional, not glamorous. A touch here and a touch there and she smiled into the mirror. Perfect. Even her mother would have to take a second look to recognise her. _Now for the final exam._

"Okay, Flint, I'm ready," she called, exiting her room gracefully.

Flint's mouth dropped open. She had transformed into a modest receptionist.

"Jaye…," he stammered…"It's amazing…You're you…but you're not…" he looked her up and down in wonder.

"That's what you call covert, Flint," she smirked.

"I know," he smiled gruffly. "You're good."

She smiled at the compliment.

His eyes drank in her image. Her hair was a couple shades darker than her natural color and she was wearing more makeup than usual. But, it was her eyes where his gaze finally settled, her eyes that were unchanged. They were the same warm brown eyes that Flint loved, eyes that _were_ Lady Jaye. He could get lost in those eyes.

Flint pulled her into a hug and softly kissed her on the top of her head. "You're perfect. Keep your com open and don't forget to punch in the code 889 for privacy. According to Breaker, it should block any unwanted listeners. I will be there later, since my shift doesn't start until 3:00. If you run into trouble, hit your tracer. Remember, we're here on our own. Be careful."

He held her at arms length and gazed into her eyes, again.

"Always," she smiled, drawing a hand lightly down his cheek.

She kissed him gently and then pulled away. Grabbing her bag and slinging her purse over her shoulder, she headed out the door. The train station was only a short five minute walk away. Once she was on the right train, she began to prepare mentally, drawing on training she learned when she was acting. She immersed herself in her role. Closing her eyes, she visualised herself anew. With each new breath, she became more her character. She was Sarah Weaver, a professional, Secretary at Heidaina Corporation. Her posture became relaxed, her face patient and kind. She adopted an "I'd be happy to help you," tone. She was ready.

Lady Jaye walked into the immaculate, multi-storied sky rise and up to the information desk. Taking out her paperwork, she was directed to the personnel department. Since her hiring had been entirely online, she still needed to get her ID badge. It turned out that she also needed to fill out some additional paperwork before officially starting work. The man handed her several pieces of paper attached to a clipboard and pointed her in right direction.

She mumbled her thanks and flashed a nervous smile, just as Sarah Weaver would have done.

She entered a small plain room, painted a simple white. It was empty. Several uncomfortable gray office chairs lined one wall. She took a seat and looked carefully around. On the side of the room, directly in front of her, sat a large imposing wooden desk. To the left she noticed smaller makeshift rooms sectioned off by portable walls. It surprised her. In contrast to the opulence and flaunting of the building, this room was strikingly plain.

She turned her attention to the papers in hand, barely glancing up as a woman in a navy business suit appeared from a side door and beelined it to the leather office chair behind the desk. Lady Jaye was just completing the forms when she heard her name called.

"Sarah Weaver."

"Yes."

She stood up immediately and headed toward the large woman behind the enormous desk. Immediately, she felt something was not right. She had always trusted these gut instincts; they had never failed her. She studied the woman cautiously, a little fearfully, her muscles tensed with readiness. Something about the woman was off. She was sitting calmly, but her eyes glittered dangerously. Her mouth was pursed into a forced smile.

"Paperwork." She said coldly, stretching out her hand.

Lady Jaye passed the clipboard to her.

The woman shuffled through the pages, but seemed uninterested. She then directed Lady Jaye to one of the side rooms for a photograph as she positioned herself behind the camera. Lady Jaye sat carefully on the offered stool and fought the sudden urge to run.

"I am just having my photo taken," She tried to reassure herself, taking several deep calming breaths.

She faced the camera as directed and was suddenly blinded by a bright light and vaguely noticed an odd smell. Her body relaxed instantly and her worries disappeared. A smile formed on her lips. She was so happy to be be woking here. _What an honour to have been hired for this job_ , she thought. She couldn't wait to get started, to work alongside all the amazing employees in this company.

* * *

Flint arrived at Heidaina Corporation a little before 3:00. He was impressed by the size, the stylish lobby, the white glove test cleanliness. It had an almost sterile, hospital-like atmosphere. He handed his paperwork to the man at the information desk and was directed to the personnel department where he was to have his photo taken for an ID badge.

He began to worry as he sat uncomfortably on the little stool, waiting for his picture to be taken. _Why was it taking so long?_ The stern woman behind the camera was muttering complaints under her breath.

He waited a little longer.

Finally she stepped out from behind the camera, a scowl on her face.

"There seems to be a problem with the …camera," She scribbled something on her clipboard and then handed him a temporary ID. "Come back again tomorrow."

Once he had his temporary ID badge in hand, he was led to the basement where he was introduced to his supervisor, Bryant.

"Welcome to Heidana, young man. I'm sure you will find your work here, …pleasant," he smiled happily.

Flint drew his eyebrows together as he was handed a clipboard with a requisition for new lights for the main office on the 36th floor.

"Here's your first assignment," Bryant's smile broadened. "Off you go, now, lad. Have fun!,"

Flint was dismissed with a chortle and waved in the direction of the ladders, to the right, and light bulbs, to the left.

Standing in the middle of the basement, suddenly alone, Flint muttered to himself, "That was odd. I wonder if that guy always smiles like that." Shaking his head he realized, unfortunately, he didn't have an answer for that one. Sighing, he looked around the room. "So I'm to change light bulbs…I think I can handle that," he begrudgingly went to find and gather his supplies.

Stepping into the basement elevator a few minutes later, he pushed the button for the 36th floor. He immediately noticed the elevator panel had two unmarked floors above 36.

"Looks like I might have found where those snakes are hiding," he mused.

The elevator dinged as he reached his floor. He handed his clipboard and requisition to a striking, raven haired secretary.

"I haven't seen you before," she smiled, looking him up and down.

"No. I'm new," he said in surprise. He was slightly taken aback as she spoke to him in perfect English.

 _This must be the English section of the company, where Lady Jaye was supposed to work,_ he thought. He glanced around the room, hoping he might catch a glimpse of her.

"The lights are over there," she smiled again as she pointed to a section of long fluorescent light was darkened.

"Uh, Thanks."

Flint carried in the tall ladder he had found as well as several long bulbs, different sizes. He wasn't sure which would be the right fit. He placed the ladder directly under the light and climbed several steps. Then, reaching up, he grabbed the plastic cover and began pulling. It was tight. He pulled harder. With a loud pop, it broke free, sending a shower of dust on him. The ladder rocked, nearly sending him to the ground.

"Ugh. Yuck!," he coughed and wiped his eyes.

From the other side of the room, he noticed the secretary watching him humorously. He grumbled. Climbing back up, he twisted the nonworking bulb and removed it. He then selected the correctly sized replacement, inserted it, and reattached the cover.

He gathered his supplies and stacked them near the elevator. As he pressed the down arrow, the pretty secretary spoke again with a broad smile, "Not so fast, pretty boy"

Flint turned quickly, muscles tensed, his hand resting lightly on his hidden weapon. He expected to see her holding a gun but she merely smiled once more and pointed to the vacuum cleaner she had pulled from the closet. Sighing, he relaxed, letting his hand drop to his side.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

He grabbed the vacuum, plugged it in, and cleaned up the dust.

He kept his eyes open all day. No sign of Lady Jaye, though he had not really expected to see her. No sign of those exasperating twins, either, but that was not such a bad thing. In fact, nothing suspicious at all, except those two unmarked floors. He wondered if he should ride the elevator just to see what was up there but decided to wait. He wasn't willing to engage just yet and didn't want to risk blowing his cover. He was planning to follow up with Lady Jaye later, anyway.

He had gone from job to job all day, everything from changing light bulbs to unstopping clogged sinks to moving furniture. He now had a pretty good mental map of the multi- floored sky scraper. Main offices were on the 30th-36th floors. Minor businesses and offices below.

One floor, entirely devoted to employees on break, sported a small gym with light weights, tread mills, a gymnastic mat and a stretching bar. Surprisingly, there were showers available and locker rooms, fully stocked with soaps, shampoos and even fresh, high quality, towels.

That was where Flint had repaired the stopped sink. He pushed aside his disgust as he recalled the events. A plunger had pushed whatever was blocking the sink down but then it had backed up and overflowed, all over his shoes. They were still damp from the filthy water.

He sighed, running his hand through his dark hair. This had definitely not been his day. He sincerely hoped Lady Jaye was having a better time.

In addition to the gym, he counted two different coffee shops, several sandwich shops, a pastry shop and a nondescript Italian restaurant. Almost hidden in a back corner, Flint even discovered a small smoking room, complete with air purifiers installed on opposite walls.

The floor was filled with employees, from all over the company, taking their breaks. They collected in little groups with their co workers. He had been impressed by how many different languages he heard. Flint had to grudgingly admit to himself that the company worked very hard to keep their employees happy…and that's exactly what they seemed, happy, almost too happy.

At the end of his shift, he returned his supplies to the basement and then manually inputed his ID number to clock out.

Once outside, he took a breath of fresh air, quickly taking in how how dark it was. He was on the train in minutes.

Finding an empty seat, he sat back and closed his eyes. He was exhausted and jet lag was quickly catching up with him. He couldn't wait to get back to the small apartment he was sharing with Lady Jaye. He could definitely use a shower.

Lady Jaye was sleeping in her room when he arrived. He showered quickly and then tossed together a salad as he heated up the rice and pork ginger he had bought at the local Family Mart. When it was nearly ready, he called Lady Jaye. She emerged a few minutes later.

"So, what did you find out?" he eyed her sitting across from him, wrapped in a robe, eyes still heavy with sleep.

She took a sip of her water. "Not much. Seems like a really great place to work," she smiled and took a bite of rice.

Flint grinned and rolled his eyes, "Right. So, I've heard. What did you end up having to do?"

Her eyes lit up excitedly, "I was so happy the whole day. I did whatever they gave me. I made phone calls, filed papers, I even made coffee," she said, smiling brightly.

"Jaye…" his eyes narrowed.

"Yes?," her smile widened.

"Are you okay?"

"Sure Flint, why wouldn't I be? I've never never been happier," she turned her attention back to her meal and began eating with an appetite.

Flint studied her closely. He was sure she _was_ Lady Jaye, even if she didn't sound like her. _What was with all the 'happy' talk and 'smiling'? It was just like the…Oh no…._ cold crept down his spine. _Just like the employees at Heidana…_

Then he remembered what Lifeline had given them, just before they left. "In case you get into chemical trouble," he had said, "This should neutralise it."

 _It couldn't be that, could it?_

"Excuse me," Flint said suddenly, rising from the table.

"Sure Flint," Lady Jaye had not stopped shovelling mouthfuls of food into her mouth.

He returned a few minutes later with what looked like a spray perfume bottle.

"Lady Jaye?," he tensed.

"What is it, Flint?" she looked up, smiling broadly.

 _I hope this works…_ Flint quickly sprayed her with the perfume.

Jaye coughed and sputtered, her face reddening in anger. "Flint! You imbecile! What was that for? Why I ought to….," and then her face softened and relaxed. "Why I…I…, What happened?" she asked in confusion, shaking her head to clear it.

Flint sat back in his seat and sighed, "I think you were exposed to some chemical."

Jaye's eyes widened. "What! But…"

"Remember that perfume Lifeline gave us?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"It worked. That's what I sprayed on you."

"Oh," she was beginning to remember bits and pieces. "And you think I was…" her voice drifted off, "So, the company is not so innocent as it would have one think."

"No, it's certainly beginning to look that way."

"So how do they…"

"Expose the employees?"

She nodded. _Like me._

"I've been thinking about that, too, and I have a theory."

She looked at him curiously.

"The ID badges."

"The what?"

"Think about it…You saw a bright light and smelled something funny. The camera didn't work for me. I was never exposed."

She nodded slowly, "Yes, that actually makes a lot of sense. So now what?"

Flint got up and retrieved her badge. Holding it carefully with a wash towel and away from his face, he dropped it into a ziplock bag and quickly sealed it. "We send this to Lifeline to run some tests…But in the meantime," he took a picture of the badge and quickly downloaded it onto his computer.

"Think you can help me make you duplicate one?" he grinned slyly.

"Oh, I may have a trick or two up my sleeves," she laughed, sliding over next to him.


	5. Chapter 5

_I did mention that this is written in Sunbow universe, right? Once again, I don't own GI Joe, Hasbro, Marvel, Sunbow….or anything related to GI Joe._

* * *

Lady Jaye rode the elevator up to the 32nd floor. She made her way to the shared office space and sat down in relief. Her falsified ID had worked. No one had tried to stop or detain her.

Looking around at the other still empty desks, she thought it vaguely odd that no one was there yet, _granted she was a bit early_. She flipped opened her laptop with a sigh and signed in. At first she enjoyed the feeling of relief, but as the minutes continued to drag on, that relief changed to worry and then to fear. _There should be someone here by now_ , she thought nervously, glancing between the wall clock and the main door.

That feeling that something was wrong wormed it's way into her gut.

She was just contemplating leaving when the empty silence of the room was broken by a pair of familiar voices over the loudspeaker, "We know who you are…Lady Jaye."

Then, suddenly, the lights in the office went out. Blinded by the instant blackness, Lady Jaye groped for the edge of her desk and rose to her feet in a hurry. She squinted her eyes, scanning the large room. She barely made out two identical dark shadows, slip in silently through the door.

"Oh, this is just peachy," she growled, her eyes following their approach, "…double trouble."

She jumped towards the shadows, kicking out blindly. She felt a connect, heard a "umpf" and "Brother…"

Then a voice groaned to her right, "You must be more careful… Xamot."

She turned toward the sound and a butt of a gun connected solidly with the side of her head. A sharp pain, a cry, and she fell into blackness.

* * *

"Jaye?" Flint called into the darkness. All the lights were turned off.

"She's probably taking a nap _,"_ he muttered, shaking his head affectionately. Unlike Jaye, he had never been bothered much by jet lag. _It'll be fun waking her up, though,_ he grinned _._ Visions of  Sleeping Beauty were running through his head. He silently turned the nob to her room, pushed the door open and peeked inside. He was slightly disappointed to find that she was not there.

Scanning the room, he saw that her bed was untouched, still neatly made. He let out a sigh.

"Lady Jaye?" he called again, as he walked through the main area of the apartment.

His own voice echoed back to him in response. _That's odd._

Concern growing exponentially, he hurried over to the other side of the apartment, to his room, and yanked open the door.

"Lady Jaye?," he called louder.

Once again, he was greeted with silence. _Where could she be?_

Flint went back to the main room, thinking rapidly. Sinking into the sofa, he ran his hand roughly through his jet black hair. He'd been trying to shake a bad feeling all day. He whipped out his com and punched in the emergency number Hawk had given him.

"Hawk here," the answer was immediate.

"General Hawk? Sir, this is Flint."

There was a pause, and then, "What's happened?"

Flint explained that he had just come back and that Lady Jaye was missing, having never returned from work.

"Has she activated her tracer?"

"No, not yet."

"Are you certain she's in trouble…I mean, could she just be running late?"

"No, she should have been back hours ago. And she wouldn't have gone anywhere without letting me know first. Hawk, I know she's in trouble."

"Alright…," he sighed. He didn't doubt that Flint would know. "Give me a run down of the details," he grabbed a pencil and leaned back in his chair.

They discussed all that Flint had seen, his observations of the employees and especially the unmarked 37th and 38th floors. He also reiterated Jaye's previous day, the ID badge, her altered behaviour and presumed chemical exposure.

"Yes, we received your package this morning. Lifeline's testing it as we speak."

"There's one more thing, Sir,… perhaps the most important."

"Yes?"

Flint hesitated, "…The company wants to make it's employees happy."

"What's wrong with that?" Hawk asked curiously. _Wasn't that something most companies tried to do?_ And yet obviously, something about his one had raised red flags in Flint. Over time, Hawk had learned to trust Flint's instincts implicitly, just like he trusted a handful of his other Joes, Lady Jaye, Scarlett, and Duke among them.

"Well, they, uh, seem to go out of their way. I'd say it's pretty remarkable."

"Hmm.…Yes," he paused. Strangely, Flint's observation struck him as particularly ominous.

"Thanks, Flint. I need to inform Duke and Scarlett. I will be sending them out to you with their team. They should be there by morning. If Lady Jaye _is_ in trouble, let's hope she will have activated her tracer by then. Meanwhile, don't lose your head."

"Yes, sir," Flint mumbled.

"I mean it, Son… Keep me updated. Hawk out."

Hawk stared at the com and frowned. He knew he was taking a risk when he paired those two…it's just that they worked so well together, they and another team he didn't feel like mentioning at the moment. He hoped for Flint's sake, and this own, that Lady Jaye was okay.

Duke and Scarlett were eating their lunches in the mess. At the sound of Hawk's voice, they both paused, sandwiches frozen halfway to their mouths.

"Duke, Scarlett, my office, now. On the double!," Hawk bellowed over the com.

 _Flint and Lady Jaye,_ they were both thinking as steel eyes met aquamarine blue.

"Let's go."

They slid out from their table and dumped their half eaten meals. Within moments, they were outside the General's office.

"General Hawk?," Scarlett rapped smartly on his door.

"Enter, Scarlett," Hawk's eyes followed them as they came to stand in front of his desk. "Duke," He nodded his head in greeting.

"Hawk, Sir," he fired off a salute. "What's up?"

A hint of a smile crossed Hawks lips. _That's why Duke was one of his best,_ he thought. _He was never one to beat around the bush. He went always straight for the juggler._

Hawk steepled his fingers and began without preamble, "I just got off the com with Flint. He has informed me that Lady Jaye never returned from her position as a secretary. I think it's fair to assume she's still at Heidana."

Scarlett's and Duke's eyes flashed as they listened, their bodies tensing like coiled springs.

"She may be in trouble."

The Joes were like family. If one of them ran into trouble, the rest of the team didn't hesitate to back them up. And when it was a friend, well, the Joes could be downright overly protective. In this particular case, Scarlett and Lady Jaye were best friends and Duke viewed her fondly as an annoying younger sister. For all intents and purposes, these four were even closer than family. Hawk knew he could depend on them to get her out. They weren't about leave her in the hands of Cobra thugs.

"Our team is on standby. We can be ready at a moment's notice," Duke's face was grim.

"Good. Let them know. I'll have a transport ready for you within the hour."

"Yes, Sir," Duke nodded.

"Dismissed."

Scarlett and Duke snapped into a salute and then headed for the door. Hawk's sharp eyes watched them go. The family feel went farther than just among his Joes. He, too, was more than concerned for Lady Jaye. But he also knew, if anyone could find her and bring her back home safely, it would be this team. Duke and Scarlett were two of his best.

Duke and Scarlett hurried to their private quarters, grabbed their duffle bags, and then headed to the weapons locker. On the way, Duke alerted Gung Ho, Ace and Snake Eyes. Within a few short minutes, all five had rendezvoused on the tarmac, luggage and weapons in hand. They loaded their belongings in the storage compartment bins and boarded the aircraft. Ace took the controls while Duke copiloted. Everyone was rigid in their seats as they reached the runway and took off.

Once in the air, Scarlett filled the rest of the team on what they knew about the situation.

"Jaye's in trouble?" Gung Ho's deep voice rose threateningly.

"That's what it looks like," Scarlett's words were clipped, her face tight. "According to Flint, she never returned to their apartment."

"So she's still at that Japan Extensive Enterprises building," he narrowed his eyes.

"We hope so…I mean we think so."

Snake Eyes placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. "We will find her," he signed. Then he crossed his heart in a promise. His mask contorted slightly as he gave her a gentle smile.

"Thanks Snakes," she returned the smile weakly.

"Yeah, Just you wait, Scarlett. We'll get those snakes and wring their skinny little necks," Gung Ho grinned menacingly as he slapped her on the back with heavy hand.

"Watch it!," she cried, taking a stumbling step forward, "Save some of that for the Snakes," she rolled her shoulders and grimaced.

Snake Eyes' shoulders rose and fell rapidly with his silent laughter.

Duke slipped out of the cockpit at just that moment. "I'm glad to see that Scarlett has filled you in on Lady Jaye," he began, "We should be in Japan by 0700 tomorrow morning. We'll rendezvous with Flint when we get there and make our plans then." He looked at them sternly, "I suggest you rest up while you can."

There were nods and scuffling of shoes on the rubber mat floors as they tried to make themselves comfortable for the long flight.

Scarlett found a quiet corner to herself and stared silently out the window, watching the clouds pass below.

"Hang in there, Jaye," she whispered, "We're on our way."


	6. Chapter 6

Lady Jaye woke to consciousness slowly, rising through darkness into a heaviness that seemed to envelope her and press in and around her from every side. She stirred, and the brooding silence was broken by a soft moan, her own. Opening her eyes, she immediately wished she hadn't. White walls reflected the harsh incandescence of the fluorescent lights overhead. In the over-bright glare of the room, she squinted, blinking rapidly. She didn't recognise her surroundings and struggled to gain her bearings. As her mind began to focus, she became uncomfortably aware of the white tiled floor pressed coldly against her cheek, a painful bruise on her hip and another on her elbow from when she had probably been dumped on the floor. She shifted uncomfortably and then winced. Her head exploded in pain.

"Arg…..my…head," she moaned, rocking gently side to side.

She reached up with a shaky hand and explored gingerly, sighing when she felt a large swelling and the telltale stickiness. Her hand dropped wearily, her fingertips wet. At least the bleeding had slowed.

Gritting her teeth, she rolled to her side and was immediately overcome by waves of nausea.

"Most likely a concussion…" her muddled brain offered as an explanation. She accepted it without question or complaint. She'd been injured worse.

She tried to lift her head and the bile once again rose in her throat and she swallowed rapidly. "Ugh…" she muttered, pressing a hand to her unsettled stomach. She took a few deep breaths and then, with grit and determination, pushed herself onto her knees. She closed her eyes, waiting for nausea to pass, the dizziness and pounding of her head to lessen. When the room had finally stopped spinning, she took a cautious look around.

It was a small room, completely empty, with one door leading in and out. Against probability, she crawled to the door and staggered to her feet. Tugging on the handle, she let out a breath in frustration. It was a locked door, a prison… and she was alone. She slid slowly to the floor in defeat. Pulling her knees up, she hugged herself tightly.

Her thoughts drifted to Flint. She hoped that he was safe, that he was not a prisoner somewhere like herself. She also knew with certainty, that if he was indeed free, he would have already put her rescue in motion. She smiled softly. That thought alone gave her reason to hope once again.

Lady Jaye had been frequently paired with Flint from the very beginning of their enlistment with the Joes. As they continued to work closely together, she had found herself drawn to him in more ways than one. She had admired his professionalism, his leadership abilities, his skills, and his intelligence. And, conversely, he had always treated her with respect, as an equal partner, valuing and trusting her own unique set of skills and abilities.

As General Hawk continued pairing them together on missions, their fast friendship deepened and then more recently, had become more than friendship. Theirs had been an inevitable relationship, born out of dependence and trust, and mutual attraction.

She smiled complacently, remembering how surprised Flint had been when the two of them had fallen into that pink goo and she had calmly grabbed his arm and pulled out her bubble javelin. She blushed lightly, remembering their arms around each other in a tight embrace. For a few moments, as they had slowly floated to the top, their voices soft and their breaths mingling, the battle above had been forgotten. That had been the defining moment for her, the moment she knew she was falling in love.

They had been on many other missions together since that early one, missions where sometimes she rescued him, and other times where he rescued her. She recalled the time when they were together on the roof of the world and her whole team had been buried by an avalanche. Her heart had seized in fear at that moment, believing they had all been buried alive. But, Flint, proving his intelligence once again, had ordered them to aim their lasers at the falling snow and ice. It melted around them, creating an ice cave. Lady Jaye had impressed him once again as she used her diamond tipped javelin to cut them free.

There had been many rescues, she smiled softly. But there had also been times when he returned the favor, like when she had been captured with Bazooka and Alpine at that Texas dude ranch.

And of course, there had been many, many times they were captured together, tied up and threatened by Cobra Commander or Destro or any of the other deluded Cobra leaders. They never worried about it too much, because they had always managed to escape.

As she looked around her white prison cell once more, she knew with confidence that she would escape again. Flint would come for her. It was only a matter of time.

The room was spinning again, her stomach lurching. She buried her head in her knees and squeezed her eyes shut. With her last conscious thought, she hoped Flint would come for her soon. Then, she passed into darkness once more.

* * *

The long flight to Japan was uneventful. The Joes rested as much as they could in their stiff, hard seats. Even Ace had been relieved from his controls midway by Duke so he could catch a few hours. They were all waking up now, as the blurry coast of Japan was finally coming into view.

"Is it today or tomorrow?" Ace asked, adjusting the headset over his ears.

"Since we're in Japan, I think it's tomorrow," Duke said irritably, biting back a yawn.

Ace turned to stare at him, his grin slowly forming. "Problem with jet lag, Duke?"

"Not at all." Duke muttered, giving his head a shake to clear it.

Still grinning, Ace turned to the control panel and flipped the switch to the Pit.

"Breaker, here."

"Breaker, this is Ace. Patch me in to Hawk."

"Sure thing, Ace."

Ace stared at the breaking white waves below. The green and black jagged coast was becoming visible. He could see the small dots of houses and buildings lining the distance.

"Hawk here."

"General Hawk." Ace sat up quickly, "We're approaching the coast of Japan now. Any word on the status of our landing permission?" Ace continued scanning the coast. "It's not like we can just land at Narita," he quipped.

Hawk had been on the horn all night calling the various US bases in Japan, dealing with customs and getting permission from Japan for the Joe's International landing.

"It's all taken care of. You've been given permission to land at the US Military installation, Camp Zama. Head for Sagamihara in Kanagawa, about 40km southwest of Tokyo. I'll send you the coordinates, now. Air Traffic Control will be directing you once you are on your approach."

"Roger that. Ace out."

Skirting the coast, Ace pulled the plane into a smooth turn, heading South for Kanagawa Prefecture.

Grinning suddenly, he flipped the switch for the internal speaker com. "Lady and gentlemen," he began, "we are approaching our destination. At this time I must ask that all tray tables and all seats be back in their locked and upright positions," he leaned back in his chair with a smug smile.

Behind him, from the cargo bay, he heard the collective groan rise above the sound of the engines.

"Ace….."


	7. Chapter 7

Lady Jaye sat in the small white room, her back against the cold wall and shivered slightly. The mission was scrubbed. She had just activated the locater for the tracking device hidden in the heel of her shoe. If Flint had his receiver on him, and she had to assume he did, he would be able to track her location instantly. She need only wait for her rescue.

She bowed her head wearily and then she did something she would never do in front of witnesses; she complained, allowing herself a brief moment of self pity. She was still tired and sick to her stomach and her head was still hurting, though now more of a dull ache than the excruciating throb it had been at first. She wondered duly if she had been locked in the room for hours or days. She had no clue, no way of knowing in the windowless room. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness for quite a while, but now she was finally awake.

She was looking around the room, searching again for some way of possible escape, when the noise of footsteps in the hall startled her. She rose unsteadily to her feet as the door to the room swung open.

"Ahh, Lady Jaye," Tomax and Xamot entered together.

"We see you have finally decided… to wake up. We are sorry we could not offer you… better accommodations," They bowed slightly.

"Xamot. Tomax." She sighed, shifting her gaze from one to the other, "You two make my head hurt." The completing of one another's sentences always grated on her nerves.

"Now, now, my dear," Tomax began soothingly, "You now we have nothing against you, personally."

"We just want to know what the Joes are doing here," Xamot finished, his rich voice persuasive.

"Yes. Who else…is with you? Surely your illustrious leader…would not have sent you… alone." Tomax curved his lips into a smile and a chill ran down Lady Jaye's spine.

"Like I would tell you anything," she growled. The Twins were masters at deception, as dangerous and cunning as they were handsome. She didn't trust them as far as she could throw them.

"You know," Tomax began again, with Xamot finishing, "We can make this easy for you…or hard."

"Your choice," their smiles became cold.

Lady Jaye narrowed her eyes and glared. "Never," she hissed stubbornly.

"Very well," Tomax spoke resignedly with a small wave of his hand, "Seize her."

In one fluid movement, Xamot had stepped behind and pinned her arms tightly to her sides. She struggled against him but his grip on her was too strong.

"You know you can't win against us, Lady Jaye. Why struggle?" He murmured, his breath hot against her ear.

Lady Jaye knew Xamot had a point, as much as she hated to admit it, and she really was in no condition to out up a fight against him. Reluctantly, she stopped fighting.

He pushed her out the door and into the hall. Tomax followed closely behind. They walked the dimly lit hallway in silence, turning left and right several times before finally opening a door and entering a small room resembling a simple lab. A table to one side held vials of different coloured liquids, beakers, petri dishes, bunsen burners and other lab equipment. Another smaller table held vials and syringes. Then to the opposite side, Lady Jaye's eyes widened in fear as she recognized what looked to be a metal chair connected to multiple wires and restraining belts.

She instantly lunged forward, trying to break free from her captor. Xamot simply tightened his grip as he steered her forcefully into the chair.

"Help me with the restraints, brother," he panted slightly, holding the desperately struggling Lady Jaye.

"Dr. Mindbender will be here momentarily," Tomax pulled the bands for the wrist and arm restraints tight. "Have no fear. He only wants…"

"to make you happy!" Xamot grimaced slightly with effort as he began preparing the leg restraints.

He shifted sideways, slightly loosening his hold on her ankles. Lady Jaye took advantage of the opportunity and kicked out hard, knocking him off his feet as she simultaneously twisted in the chair. With a sharp pain, one arm ripped loose from the blindings. _That's going to leave a bruise,_ she grimaced. She quickly unlatched the other and jumped free of the chair. _She was not going to become another one of their experiments_ , she seethed. Turning to face the Twins, she settled into her trademark low fighting stance.

Xamot was limping and rubbing his leg. Tomax was also limping, but his eyes were dark and deadly calm. He matched her crouch, ready to spring. Lady Jaye knew she had only one chance. Using the lightening fast move that Snake Eyes had taught her, she spun and connected with a sharp kick to Xamot's midsection, knocking the air out of him. As was always the case, both twins cried out and fell to the ground.

"Guards," Xamot bellowed between gasps for breath.

Dizzy and sick, her heart pounding in her temples, Lady Jaye stared for a moment at the writhing twins. She pressed a hand to the side of her head, trying to ease the throbbing. She had to get away. Taking a a deep breath, she pushed down the pain and ran for the hallway. To her left, she spotted the unmistakable red uniforms of the Twin's Crimson Guards. She quickly turned and fled the other way.

Tomax rose to his knees, a small square device in his hand. He pressed the button and alarms sounded all over the sky rise. He and Xamot rose to their feet and dusted off their uniforms even as Crimson Guards began pouring into the room

"The prisoner has escaped… Capture her. Bring her back to us… preferably alive."

'Yes, Sirs. Cobraaaaa!"


	8. Chapter 8

Flint sat in his small apartment, doing his best not to appear impatient and worried. Duke's team had formed a small circle around him except for Snake Eyes, who stood silently to the side, his arms crossed over his chest, his head tilted slightly.

"Now, let me get this straight," Scarlett leaned forward, brows drawn together in deep thought, "There are two unmarked floors in the building and you think _that_ is where they will be keeping Lady Jaye?"

Flint nodded affirmatively, "Yes. In fact I'm sure of it. After reporting to Hawk last night, I went back to Heidaina and took the elevator up to the 37th floor," he paused and lowered his voice, "There were Crimson Guards on duty."

"You what!?," Duke bellowed angrily, "Don't you know you could have been caught?"

Flint shrugged, "I was wearing my Janitor's uniform. I just pretended to have lost my way."

"And they just let you get away with it?" Scarlett asked in disbelief.

"Apparently it must be pretty common because they acted like it wasn't that big of a deal. They were more annoyed than anything. They just told me to get back in the elevator and go back down."

"So, that's where you think they will be keeping Jaye?," Duke eyed him sharply.

Flint returned his gaze without blinking. "No." he said slowly, "Before my discovery of the 37th floor, I tried to access the 38th but the elevator shaft door was locked. It required some kind of key code. My guess is that she will be there."

"What makes you so sure, Flint?," Ace challenged. He was not yet convinced. "I mean, it _is_ a pretty big building. She could be anywhere."

Flint smiled. "I know. I'm aware of that myself. But," his face grew serious, "I am convinced there are several reasons why the Twins would have her _there._ One is that security on that floor is tighter than anywhere else in the building. Lady Jaye can be a clever prisoner. She has already escaped from the Twin's clutches multiple times. Knowing that, they would likely have her highly guarded and placed in a secure area. And two, if you really think about it, being in proximity to the roof makes it strategically easier for a quick get away. The Twins are elusive and extremely private. I don't see them using the main exits for their comings and goings. The roof would serve better as their own personal entrance as well as a way to slip away unnoticed. Taking that all into account, the top floor seems to be our most likely target."

"That does make sense," Scarlett agreed slowly, tapping her lips with a finger, "The Twins have certainly slipped through our fingers more times than I'd care to admit. I'm with you, Flint, on this one. Wherever they are roosting, they are likely to have Jaye nearby…and it looks like that _is_ going to be the top floor."

"So, now what?" Duke turned to Flint, "Have you worked out a plan?"

"Yes," he smiled darkly as he flipped open his laptop and swiped the touchpad. What looked like blueprints filled the screen.

Their eyes widened in surprise. They all knew Flint was not a tech guy.

"Jaye hacked into these yesterday," he said by means of explanation, "Heidana building plans."

Murmurs of approval filled the small room.

"Good work, Jaye," Scarlett muttered under her breath in admiration.

"So, how do we use these to our advantage?" Duke said, getting right to the point as usual.

Flint pointed to the screen. "We divide up into two teams. One team will access the building from the roof. According to the schematics, there should be an access door here. It will lead down to the stairwell next to the central elevator," He pointed to the screen and tapped his finger on the location.

The second team will enter through the basement," he continued. "From there, my Janitor's ID card will allow access to the elevator and a short ride up to the top. On the 37th floor, we can bypass the elevator and use the stairwell up to the 38th."

"I like it," Gung Ho's face widened into a grin, "We'll hit 'em from above and hit 'em from below. By the time those snakes catch wind of us, they won't stand a chance."

"Sounds like a solid plan." Duke agreed. "Just one more thing. Scarlett, do you think in the middle of the fray you could slip away and get access to their main computer. We still need to find out more about their chemical experiments and what they are doing here."

They all turned to the computer screen. Scarlett traced her finger from the stairwell on the 38th floor to the computer room, memorizing the route.

"Shouldn't be a problem," she grinned cheekily.

"Alright, Ace, Scarlett, you're with me. We will enter from the roof." He then turned to Flint, "Gung Ho and Snake eyes will be with you. We'll give you 10 minutes from the moment you enter the building, then we breach the roof. We all meet up on the 38th. The mission is to find Lady Jaye and rescue her." He shifted his gaze, "Scarlett, get access to that computer. Snakes will have your back."

Snake eyes and Scarlett turned to each other and nodded.

Suddenly, the small device in Flint's pocket was activated.

"Jaye's tracker," he cried excitedly, pulling it out. His eyes eagerly following the small blinking light. The GPS modified device was already pinpointing her position. He waited until it had locked in on her, and then his face grew grim.

"Looks like we just received our confirmation, guys." he sighed, "Top floor it is."

Scarlett gave him a quick hug before grabbing her crossbow. "We'll get her out," she promised.

"Thanks," he whispered. "Hang on, Jaye. We are coming," he clutched the device tightly against his heart.

"Ace, grab those Jet packs. We have a job to do," Duke took the lead. "Flint, follow that tracker. Find Lady Jaye."

"Yo Joe!" They lifted their voices together before hurrying out the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Flint stood in the elevator with Gung Ho and Snake Eyes behind him. His eyes swept back and forth from the slowly ascending numbers indicating each passing floor to the small tracking device he held in his hand.

9, 10, 11…

"Come on, come on, come on," he willed impatiently. _Why was it maintenance elevators were always so slow?_ Suddenly, the soft elevator music playing in the background was drowned out by an ear piercing alarm.

"What the…" Gung Ho jumped and let out a string of curses, "That's no fire alarm, Flint. How'd they find us?," he scanned the elevator car, looking for a camera or recorder or some other security device he had previously overlooked.

Flint paused and frowned. "I don't think that was for us," he said slowly, "Get ready. There's no way of telling what we may walk into," Flint pulled his gun smoothly from it's holster.

Gung Ho gave a terse nod and lifted "Baby" from over his shoulder. He stood facing the elevator door, his hand absently stroking the barrel.

21, 22, 23…The numbers continued to climb.

Flint glanced down again to the tracer in his hand and his countenance slowly darkened. The GPS tracker indicated that Jaye was in motion. _Were the Snakes moving her or had she somehow managed to escape?_ His mind worked rapidly through the possible scenarios, finally coming to rest on one single conclusion. _The sounding of the alarm was for her. She was on the run._ His free hand balled into a tight fist. He needed to get to her, NOW! He quelled the sudden desire to put a fist through the wall or climb the elevator shaft, steeling himself instead to wait out the torturously slow ride up to the 37th floor.

Snake Eyes placed a light hand on his shoulder and then pointed first to the rising numbers and then the door. They were almost there.

Flint gave a tight smile and then motioned for the other two to take cover as he crouched to the side of the door.

35, 36, 37…

"Get ready," Flint tensed like a coiled spring.

The elevator stopped with a slight shudder and then dinged. The doors slid open slowly. Flint immediately poked his head out and glanced quickly to the right and then to the left. The Crimson Guards were not at their post.

"Clear," He called over his shoulder, rising to his feet, "After me. Now!" He was already out the door and running for the stairwell, his thoughts on finding and rescuing Lady Jaye.

* * *

Lady Jaye staggered down the hall, the alarm blaring in her ears, urging her feet to go faster. She knew the Crimson Guards would soon be after her, if they weren't already, and she was trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

Alone and without a weapon, slowed by her injuries, she knew she was at a great disadvantage. She also knew, much to her chagrin, that hiding would be her only feasible option. _But where?_ Her eyes darted around frantically.

She tried random doors as she passed, hoping one was unlocked. When she finally did find one, she nearly cried in relief as she quickly slipped inside. The first thing she noticed was that it was quieter. The hall alarms were dulled by the heavy door. Pressing her forehead against the cold metal, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to slow her rapidly beating heart.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Lady Jaye spun around and came face to face with two computer technicians in identical white coats. She nearly kicked herself for not noticing them when she first entered. Then, suddenly, she realised where she was and carefully masked her excitement. She had just entered the main computer room. _Maybe this mission wasn't over after all._ The fleeting thought surfaced. She barely gave the two techs a second thought as she glanced furtively toward the computers lining the walls. She knew she had to get access to that main hard drive. _But how?_ She was unarmed. It was one against two. She desperately scanned the room again looking for anything that could give her an edge. All that she had was herself.

Instinctually, she froze and slowly turned her attention back to the two men, her senses alerting her to the new danger. The larger, dark haired tech had just pulled out a gun and was pointing the barrel toward her.

"Don't make me use this," his hand shook slightly, "I want to know who you are and why you are here. Start talking."

 _What to do?_ She thought fast. There were only two men but one was was quite obviously armed and … _all she had was herself_.

A sly glint appeared in her eye and she quickly adopted a New York accent.

"Oh please. Don't shoot me! I'm so sorry…I had no idea," her voice was edged with panic.

"Who are you?," the man's voice rose, beads of sweat dotting his forehead.

"I work here, honest, on the 36th floor…, I'm a secretary," She paused and pursed her lips. "This _is_ the 36th floor, isn't it?" She looked from one to the other with wide, frightened eyes.

"No, unfortunately for you, Lady, it's not."

"Oh, dear, I must have gotten off on the wrong floor by accident," she lowered her gaze and twisted her hands nervously.

The one armed relaxed his stance and motioned with the gun, "Over there…, take a seat," he pointed to an empty chair.

She was pale, her wide eyes following every move of the gun. "Please. It's all a mistake. I didn't mean to do anything wrong."

 _I'll deserve an Oscar by the time I've finished this performance,_ she mused as she reached deep down within herself to bring up the tears. She blinked rapidly. Her sight became blurred.

"I'll do whatever you say," she choked out loud.

The two men approached her, smugly, triumphantly. The sandy haired one took hold of her arms and twisted them roughly behind her. He began half pulling, half pushing her toward the chair.

"Owww," she whimpered, tears now streaming freely down her face, "Please….you're hurting me…"

The one with the gun stood near the chair lazily, his grip on the pistol loose. She was no longer seen as a threat.

She allowed herself to be pushed and pulled. She was almost there. Just a bit farther. _Now!_ Her eyes flashed and she twisted her wrists, hard, breaking free of his grip. She kneed upwards, catching him in the stomach and then followed down with her elbows, connecting solidly with the back of his head.

He sank to the floor in a heap, unconscious.

She turned quickly, lashing out at the second man with a perfectly placed kick that sent the gun flying out of his hands. As it slid across the tiled floor, she quickly followed it, leaping into a roll and coming up with the gun in her hand. Brushing the hair from her eyes, all traces of tears gone, she calmly pointed the barrel toward his chest.

"I suggest you surrender, unless you want to be like your friend there."

His mouth dropped open.

She allowed a smug smile before motioning for him to get down on the floor. Then back to back, she tied them up with a computer cord she had disconnected from one of the monitors.

As they lay on the ground, Lady Jaye slipped around some smaller work stations to access the main computer. After shutting and opening a few windows, she found what she needed, the information about their employee chemical experimentation. She sank heavily into the chair and frowned slightly as she stared at the new screen. Now she just had to figure out the password.

She smiled briefly, remembering the small flash drive in her pocket. Other than removing her weapons and com, the Twins had not bothered to search her.

"Lucky for me," she rolled her eyes, "Stupid Twins…" She rubbed her now aching temples and winced slightly. Her brief engagements with the Twins earlier and now with the two techs was taking it's toll.

From the hallway, she could still hear the alarm blaring.

She inserted the driver into the slot and tried to navigate around the password to open the page. It didn't work. Fingers flying across the keyboard, she tried the various techniques Breaker had shown her, but again, no luck. She began trying other tricks, more and more hurriedly. It was taking too long and she knew she was quickly running out of time. How long had she been in here anyway? Surely the Crimson Guards should have discovered her by now, she thought nervously.

 _Wait._ Her dark eyes glanced toward the door. _Were those gunshots_?

Wiping a hand nervously across her damp brow, she quickly turned back to the computer and keyed in another code.


	10. Chapter 10

Flint and his team emerged from the stairwell and onto the 38th floor spoiling for a fight.

At just the same moment, the Twin's Crimson Guards, engaged with recapturing the escaped Lady Jaye, turned the corner approaching the stairwell and ran headlong into Flint and his team. Recovering quickly, they backtracked slightly and began firing.

Flint yelled for Snake Eyes and Gung Ho to take cover and quickly ducked back into the stairwell, firing and ducking again repeatedly.

Snake Eyes was only a blur as he slipped out, untouched by the exchange bullets. With deft blows, he quickly dropped several of the guardsmen.

The Crimson Guards were at a disadvantage, having no cover to speak of in the bare hallway, and were quickly overpowered. Those few who remained standing surrendered, dropping their weapons to the floor with an echoing thud.

"That ought to teach those snakes some manners," Gung Ho chuckled in amusement as he watched them shaking their heads in disbelief.

He and Flint began gathering up the weapons as the guards lay prostrate on the floor, Snake Eyes covering them in cold silence.

Once everything was under control, Snake Eyes gave a quick nod and then turned left, winding his way through the long hallways to the computer room, the second part of Flint's plan.

He found Scarlett waiting for him, just outside the door.

At his appearance, her face broke into a glad smile. He returned the greeting with a nod and then motioned for her cover him. She instantly took position to the side. Quickly sliding a dart in place, she lifted her crossbow in readiness. With one swift kick, Snake Eyes knocked the door completely off its hinges and rushed into the room. Scarlett followed right behind.

The room appeared empty at first glance, with no one to be seen.

However, Lady Jaye was still there. She had ducked down under the computer desks and drawn her gun even as Snake Eyes made contact with the door. Holding her breath and praying she would not to be discovered, she suddenly recognised the familiar dark shadow followed by a flash of red.

"Scarlett, Snake Eyes!" she crawled out in relief and jumped to her feet.

"Lady Jaye!," Scarlett gaped in surprise, "Are we glad to see you. What are you doing here? Flint's out there looking for you."

Lady Jaye grinned and was about to give a cheeky answer when she swayed a bit and quickly pressed her hand to her head, the color draining from her cheeks.

"Hey, are you okay?" Scarlett's voice changed to concern as she hurried over and placed a gentle hand on Jaye's shoulder. She quickly glanced from Jaye to the two men on the floor tied up with an electrical cord, one still out cold by the looks of it, and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"I'm just fine," Lady Jaye answered quickly. "Come on," she said, shaking off the dizzyness, "I could use your help. We need to get this information."

Snake Eyes took a position guarding the door as she turned to assist Jaye at the computer. Staring for a moment at the screen, she punched in a few keys and immediately hacked into the computer, a small smile of satisfaction on her lips. Pointing to the flash drive she asked, "This yours?"

"Yeah."

"Good," she pushed "copy."

"Remind me to have you teach me that," Jaye watched in amazement.

"Trade secrets," Scarlett smirked as she waited a few minutes and then pulled out the drive and pocketed it.

Lady Jaye grinned sheepishly and ran a hand through her already mussed hair, "I thought that was my line."

Duke's team had entered the building from the roof, as they had planned. Upon reaching the 38th floor, they immediately heard gunshots in the distance. Duke sent Scarlett to the computer room while he and Ace followed the exchange of shots to Flint. When the sound stopped abruptly, Duke exchanged a worried glance with Ace and the two immediately picked up the pace.

They met up with Flint a few hallways and a few turns later.

Duke took one look at the guards on the floor and froze, a slow grin spreading over his features.

"Nice work," he chuckled at he sight.

The Crimson Guards were in their boxers and tied up with their own pants, Gung Ho standing guard over them. Flint was holding the tracer, waiting for it to reconfigure Jaye's location.

He glanced up as Ace and Duke arrived, acknowledging their presence with a tight smile.

"Lady Jaye?"

Flint nodded, "I'm pinpointing her current position right now."

"Good. Ace, stay here as Gung Ho's back up."

"Sure thing, Duke," Ace mock saluted and took his place next to Gung Ho with a grin. "Not that I expect these chumps to be going anywhere," he chuckled softly, elbowing Gung Ho in the ribs.

"No, not very likely," he agreed with a wide grin.

Pulling out his gun once more Duke nodded to the device in Flint's hand. "Got it?"

Flint nodded once.

Okay, let's go."

Flint took the lead, hurrying down the hall, following the route designated by the tracker, Duke close behind.

Snake Eyes, followed closely by Scarlett and Lady Jaye, cautiously stepped out of the computer room. Immediately, he stiffened and held up his hand in warning.

"Someone is coming" he signed, urgently waving them back.

He slipped into the shadows as Scarlett and Lady Jaye retreated back into the room. Removing the knife from his belt, he tensed and readied to spring when he saw Flint and Duke round a corner.

He relaxed and smiled. Like a silent shadow, he stepped out into their path.

Flint's gun was immediately pointed at his chest. They stared at one another briefly then Flint gave a lopsided grin and lowered his weapon. "Sorry, Snakes."

"No offense taken," Snake Eyes signed, his eyes glittering humorously beneath the mask.

Scarlett and Lady Jaye stepped out quickly at the sound of Flint's voice.

"Flint?"

"Lady Jaye!," he cried excitedly, pulling her into his arms and swinging her around joyfully. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, looking her over carefully from head to toe, then resting his gaze on her face. He noticed her pallor as he brushed the hair from her eyes.

"Just a headache," she shrugged indifferently.

"I was so worried…," He pulled her tightly against his chest and buried his nose in her hair. They stood like that, unmoving, until Duke cleared his throat.

"Sorry, you two. I hate to break this up, but we've still got some bad guys to catch."

"Right, Duke," they quickly pulled apart, blushing slightly.


	11. Chapter 11

"I can't believe those rotten Twins got away,…Again!," Gung Ho slammed his fist down in disgust.

"It wouldn't have happened if Mindbender hadn't arrived," Scarlett tried to soothe him.

"We had them trapped on the roof! There was nowhere else to go," Gung Ho was adamant.

"No where except over the side," Flint said duly, "They _are_ the Twins."

I can't believe they actually jumped," Gung Ho spat disgustedly.

"Or that Dr. Mindbender arrived just in time to catch them," Lady Jaye sighed.

"We finally had 'em and they slipped right through our fingers," Gung Ho shook his head. "Unbelievable," he muttered.

"Hey, look at the bright side. At least we got the Crimson Guards," Flint reminded him. They had already been turned over to the local police for prosecuting.

"Awww…, that's nothing new. We always get the Crimson Guards."

"We closed down their company," Duke sat down, joining the conversation, "And permanently, too. It's already been confiscated by the Japanese government."

"That, I'm glad to hear, Duke," Lady Jaye nodded her approval.

Duke gave her a small smile and then continued, "And Hawk says without the money flow in and out of Heidana, the Cobra activity in the Japan Sea has all but disappeared. No more Snakes around North Korea or Hokkaido."

"Oh, that's wonderful news," Scarlett's eyes brightened.

"And here's the best part," Duke was eager to spill, "Hawk was extremely pleased with the preliminary report I sent him. So…, he's granting us all leave when we get stateside."

"Hey, that's terrific."

"Alright!"

"Duke, I think that's the best news I've heard so far," Gung Ho's face split into a wide grin.

"I thought you'd all like that," he chuckled. "By the way, "That flash drive of your's, Scarlett, is proving to be a wealth of information."

"Really?"

"It's part of the reason why Hawk was so pleased. Breaker and Mainframe have been analysing the data. According Hawk, not only does it include the formula for the chemical compound, but also a detailed plan for how Cobra intended to use it. It seems we intercepted a Cobra plot already in motion."

Lady Jaye's mind put two and two together and suddenly her eyes flashed angrily. "We strive to make our employees happy," The company motto came out with a harsh edge to her voice.

"What was that, Jaye?" Duke cast her a worried glance.

"Wha…? Oh, nothing," she downplayed her disgust, "Just something that was repeated every morning over the loudspeaker," she grimaced slightly. "Company propaganda."

"I see," his concerned gaze held her a moment longer.

"So what was their plan, Duke?" Scarlett asked with genuine interest.

He turned to Scarlett with a slight smile, "Well, it looks like they were planning to sell laced products to mega companies like Apple and Toyota, all over the world. Their products would have the appearance of making everyone happy, when what they really wanted to do was turn everyone into Cobra supporters,"

"You mean to tell me Cobra's plot to rule the world was to secretly drug everyone? It'd never work…,"

"Oh, but Gung Ho, don't you see? That's the really frightening part…It would have worked," Scarlett corrected him.

"How?"

"Think about it. You sell your chemically laced products to high profile companies. They like it, they buy more. They begin to support Cobra…finances pour into Cobra, lobbyists support Cobra, the governments support Cobra, even your average family man and woman supports Cobra. It's a win win situation for them. And the worst part is that everyone's happy."

"…Or just thinks they're happy. It's chemically induced…I'd imagine you might feel it, but it would never reach the heart," Flint said darkly.

"You know..., you're right, Flint. They would appear happy on the outside, but inside, they would be miserable…I should know," Lady Jaye confessed quietly. Being the only one to have been under the influence, she'd had first hand experience with it. It was an uncomfortably vulnerable feeling, having her emotions played like that.

Scarlett gave her arm a comforting squeeze. "Well, I'm just glad it's over and we have you back safely," she gave a warm smile.

"I'll second that," Flint smiled.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue," she grinned.

"Just don't make a habit of it," Scarlett teased, ruffling her hair lightly as she rose to follow Duke.

The Joes began to spread throughout the cabin, trying to get comfortable for the long flight home.

Soon, Lady Jaye and Flint were left to themselves, the need for sleep heavy on them both.

"You know, Flint," Lady Jaye turned him and flashed an adorably sleepy, yet wicked, grin, "You never did take me out for sushi."

He grimaced and turned slightly green, "No, I ….Uh…, maybe next time?"

Lady Jaye just chuckled softly as she gave in to the waves of sleepiness washing over her. She had reached her limit a while ago.

The area around her eyes was tight with pain and fatigue. The abuse and strain she had put on her body was quickly catching up with her, her bruises and muscles sore, her head aching again.

She sighed. She knew she'd be checking in with Doc when she got back to the pit for the head injury. Duke had ordered it, Flint had insisted, and Scarlett had threatened. She shook her head gently. She didn't think she was that bad about doctors, _or was she?_

She'd had a concussion she was certain, but to what degree, she didn't know. At least she was no longer nauseous. She just hoped she'd be able to enjoy her leave. She leaned into Flint sleepily and he draped his arm around her. Her eyes closed of their own accord. Almost immediately she sank into a deep, relaxed sleep.

Scarlett and Duke sat in the far corner engaged in animated conversation.

Snake Eyes was carefully and methodically removing each of his weapons to be cleaned and polished. Already quite an impressive pile had formed in front of him.

Gung Ho had move to the cockpit with Ace, the two of them laughing raucously over some lewd joke Ace had told.

Conversations buzzed and lulled around them, but Flint wasn't listening. His attention was completely captivated by the woman asleep beside him. He watched her slow breathing, the regular rise and fall of her chest. From her face, the lines of fatigue and worry and pain, softened and faded. He smiled softly and then gently brushed a loose strand from her cheek. Since they had moved past friendship, this women was quickly becoming more to him than he was willing to admit.

She stirred and smiled in her sleep, a pleasant dream flitted across her brow. He pulled her closer and then leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, his lips lingering against her warm, smooth skin.

Against this vibrant woman, with her fiery temper and intelligent wit, all the other women he had ever known faded into the background. He knew had fallen deeply for her. As much as he hated to admit it, his heart was now wrapped up in hers.

He marvelled at the perfect fit as he laced his strong fingers through her smaller ones. In her, he had found his perfect match, she who completed him, she who made him whole.

Forever and always.

Perhaps Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said it best, he thought. His words rose unbidden to Flint's lips and tumbled out in a soft whisper, revealing his heart.

"I have you fast in my fortress,

and I will not let you depart,

But put you down in the dungeon

in the round tower of my heart.

Yes, she had found her way into his heart, and there he would keep her…forever and always.

A glint appeared in his eye as his lips curved into a slow smile. For this woman, he might even try sushi.

Maybe.


End file.
